Knock-down box



Jan. 7, 1964 H. E. MORGAN 3,116,867

KNOCK-DOWN BOX Filed Dec. 7, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HARRY E. MORGAN ATTORNEY H. E. MORGAN KNOCK-DOWN BOX Jan. 7, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 7, 1962 INVENTOR HARRY E. MORGAN BY ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofilice 3,116,867 KNOCK-DOWN BGX Harry E. Morgan, I-Iuntingdon Valley, Pa, assignor to Crescent Box Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa, :1 corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 243,062 4 Claims. (@l. 229-34) This invention relates to a knock-down cardboard container or box.

One object of the invention is to produce an improved knock-down container of the type set forth.

To save space and to facilitate handling, knock-down cardboard containers are preferably shipped, and stored, in the fiat condition. A further object of the invention is to produce an improved container which can be easily erected and knocked down.

Cardboard boxes of the type referred to have hereto fore been made from a single blank suitably scored to provide the side and end walls, but as far as I am aware, in one type of box, the edges of at least one side wall and adjacent end wall had to be stitched together, or were secured with adhesive tape or with metal staples. In another type of box, the edges were held together by tongues and grooves struck out of adjacent walls. In all cases, the means joining the edges of adjacent walls had to resist the tendency of the joined walls to separate under the weight of the merchandise placed in the box and when it is remembered that such boxes are used for shipping fish, poultry and fruits, it will be seen that the weight to be sustained can be considerable and tongues heavy enough to support the weight are not readily manipulated. Also, the wall in which the tongue engaging slot is formed will have to be of heavy stock, thus adding to the weight and cost.

It is therefore a further object of this invention to produce a knock-down cardboard box which is made of a single blank; which can be erected substantially instantly and in which the weight of the material in the box is exerted in a manner to keep the box erected instead of tending to knock the box down.

A still further object is to produce a box of the type referred to by a single cutting and scoring operation and with minimum waste of material.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a blank which can be erected to produce a box embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the first step in erecting the blank of FIG. 1 into the finished box of FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and shows the second step in erecting the blank of FIG. 1 into the finished box of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 and shows the third and last step in erecting the blank of FIG. 1 into the finished box of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view looking in the direction of line 5-5 on FIG. 4, better to show the relationship of the locking members which hold the box in erected condition.

The blank from which the box is formed includes a central portion C which forms the bottom and sides of the box and end portions E.'; and E2 which form the ends of the box and which include the novel locking means of this invention.

Since end portions E-l and E2 are identical, one center portion C and end portion E1 will be described in detail and the parts of end portion E2 will be identified by the same reference characters which designate their counterparts in portion E1.

3,ll,86? Patented Jan. 7, 1%4:

As can be best seen from FIG. 1, center portion C includes a central section 10 which forms the bottom wall of the box and sections 12 which form the side walls of the box. Side walls 12 and 13 are rotatable relative to bottom wall 10 about score lines 14.

End piece E-l includes a center portion 16 which forms one end wall of the box and lateral flaps 2t), 22 and 24, 26 and end tabs 30 and 32. Flaps 22 and 26 are, optionally, provided with tongues 36 which are engageable with slots 37, as hereinafter set forth. End wall 16 is separated from bottom wall 10 by a score line 38 and it is separated from flaps 26 and 22 by slot 40 and from flaps 24 and 26 by slot 42. Flap 20 is rotatable relative to side wall 12 about score line 44 and it is rotatable relative to bottom wall It) about the inner end of slot 40 which serves as a hinge. Likewise, flap 24 is rotatable relative to side wall 13 about score line 46 and it is rotatable relative to bottom wall 10 about the inner end of slot 42, which also serves as a hinge. Flaps 22 and 26 are rotatable relative to flaps 2t and 24 about double score lines 48 and Sll, respectively, and tabs 30 and 32 are rotatable relative to end wall 16 about score lines 35 and are separated from each other by slot 52.

To erect the blank of FIG. 1 to form the box of FIG. 4, corner pieces 22 and 26 are pivoted about double score lines 48 and 59, respectively, until they assume a substantially vertical position relative to the now horizontally disposed flaps 2t and 24. With flaps 22 and 26 in this vertical position, flaps 2t) and 24 are rotated about score lines 44 and 46 and about the inner ends of slots 46 and 42, until they assume the position shown in FIG. 2 in which the edges 56 and 58 of flaps 2t and 24 come to rest on a line which connects points A and B on the blank, or immediately inwardly of score line 18.

With the flaps mentioned held in the position of FIG. 2, end wall 16 is swung about score line 33 until it abuts the outer surfaces of flaps 20 and 24, as shown in FIG. 3, and tabs 3%) and 32 are bent downwardly until they abut the upper portions of the inner surfaces of flaps 2t and 24, or to the position of FIG. 3. It will be noted that when tabs 30 and 32 are moved to the position of FIG. 3, the outer, upper portions of flaps 22 and 26, that is, the portions thereof adjacent flaps 20 and 24, will be tightly engaged in slot 52 between the tabs. The final step is to pivot flaps 22 and 26 about score lines 48 and Si or in the direction of the oppositely pointing arrows in FIG. 3, until they abut flaps 2i) and 24, respectively, as shown in FIG. 4. In this position, and in the absence of tongues 36, the vertical edges 60 of flaps 22 and 26 will frictionally engage the adjacent side walls 12, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The engagement of the vertical edges 66 of flaps 22 and 26 with the side walls of the box is enough to hold the box in erected condition while it is being filled and the merchandise piling up in the box and bearing against the surfaces of flaps 22 and 26 prevents them, and tabs 36 and 32, from returning to the position of FIGS. 2 and 3.

As previously stated, the box may, optionally, be provided with tongues 36 which are engageable with slots 37, more firmly to lock flaps 22 and 26 in the position of FIGS. 4 and 5. It will be noted that movement of flaps 22 and 26 to the position of FIG. 4 automatically engages tongues 36 with slots 37.

To knock the box down, tabs 30 and 32 are swung back to a vertical position to release flaps 22 and 26 from slot 52 and the flaps are rotated to the position of FIG. 2 from which they are pulled outwardly.

The blank of FIG. 1 may be made of any material having the necessary rigidity, flexibility and tensile strength, such as corrugated, or uncorrugated, single or multiple thickness cardboard, or of any available synthetic material. When used for shipping fish, poultry, or other wet, or iced material, the blank is preferably waterprooted, or made from Waterproof material.

When the box to be formed is relatively deep, tongues 36 and grooves 37 will be desirable, especially if the material from which the box is made is relatively light, and it is within the scope of the invention to have more than one set of vertically spaced tongues and grooves.

What I claim is:

l. A knock-down box including a bottom wall and side and end walls hingedly connected to said bottom Wall and movable to a first position in which they are coplanar with said bottom wall and to a second position in which they are normal to said bottom wall, and

locking mechanisms for detachably securing each of said end walls to the ends or" the adjacent side walls to retain said end and side walls in their second position, each of said locking mechanisms including flaps hinged to the ends of said side walls and movable to a first position in which they are coplanar with their respective side walls, and to a second position in which they are normal to their respective side walls, and parallel to the adjacent end wall, when said side walls and said end wall are in their second position,

corner extensions hinged to said flaps, respectively,

and movable to a first position in which they are normal to said walls and spaced tabs carried by the adjacent end wall and movable to a first position in which they are coplanar with their end wall and to a second position in which they are parallel to said end wall and abut the inner faces of said flaps where said flaps and said end wall are in their second position,

said corner extensions being movable to a third position in which they are normal to said side walls and abut the inner faces of said tabs to lock said flaps and said end wall in their second position.

2. The structure recited in claim 1, there being slots in said side walls adjacent said flaps and tongues on said tabs engageable with said slots.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 in which the space between said tabs equals the combined thickness of said corner extensions at their junctions with their respective flaps. 4. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the flaps and the corner extensions carried thereby are separated from the adjacent end wall and the tabs carried thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A KNOCK-DOWN BOX INCLUDING A BOTTOM WALL AND SIDE AND END WALLS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID BOTTOM WALL AND MOVABLE TO A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH THEY ARE COPLANAR WITH SAID BOTTOM WALL AND TO A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH THEY ARE NORMAL TO SAID BOTTOM WALL, AND LOCKING MECHANISMS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING EACH OF SAID END WALLS TO THE ENDS OF THE ADJACENT SIDE WALLS TO RETAIN SAID END AND SIDE WALLS IN THEIR SECOND POSITION, EACH OF SAID LOCKING MECHANISMS INCLUDING FLAPS HINGED TO THE ENDS OF SAID SIDE WALLS AND MOVABLE TO A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH THEY ARE COPLANAR WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE SIDE WALLS, AND TO A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH THEY ARE NORMAL TO THEIR RESPECTIVE SIDE WALLS, AND PARALLEL TO THE ADJACENT END WALL, WHEN SAID SIDE WALLS AND SAID END WALL ARE IN THEIR SECOND POSITION, CORNER EXTENSIONS HINGED TO SAID FLAPS, RESPECTIVELY, AND MOVABLE TO A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH THEY ARE NORMAL TO SAID WALLS AND 